


The Man Who Cleans Up Other People's Messes

by TigerLily



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-27
Updated: 2012-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-30 04:41:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/TigerLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Horatio and Raymond resolve a few issues before Raymond flies off to Brazil. Set after the events in <em>10-7</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Man Who Cleans Up Other People's Messes

_Why?_

That question rattled around in Horatio Caine's tired mind like a pebble in a tin can. It grated on his nerves as he fought the desire to drag Raymond from the Hummer and beat him senseless.

Horatio hated to be manipulated and he had been by his brother handlers, but especially by Raymond himself. He could honestly admit that it pissed him off. He had no one to blame but himself. He had allowed it to occur because deep inside he believed that he had failed Raymond.

He had been forced to finish raising Raymond when their mother had been murdered. He had spent many a sleepless night wondering if he had screwed that up, especially when he discovered that Raymond had become a dirty cop, a druggie and a philanderer.

Thinking of Madison made him clench the steering wheel as if it were Raymond's neck. He debated on telling Raymond about her, but decided against it because Raymond would try and see her before going back undercover. It wouldn't be fair to either of them and Horatio vowed to himself to never bring anymore pain into Madison's life.

He let go the steering wheel and started to drum his thumbs on it instead. He could never keep his hands still for very long, which had been a running joke between him and Raymond.

_Why?_

That question bothered Raymond Caine as he studied his brother's profile in the late afternoon sun. He noted that there were more fine lines around the eyes and lips as well as a light sprinkling of gray along the temples. It appeared to Raymond that Horatio had aged at least ten years since he had last seen him.

Horatio's clenched jaw and thumbs drumming on the steering wheel betrayed the agitation he hid behind his sunglasses. Raymond secretly wondered when the dam would break on Horatio's iron control. He wanted his brother and not the virtual stranger that was sitting next to him.

Raymond couldn't put his finger on when Horatio had closed himself off from people, but he figured the safe bet was while he worked Homicide in New York. It had been a sudden transfer, which had floored Raymond at the time. It had taken Yelina to point out how uncomfortable Horatio had been around them when they had been dating before Raymond realized that Horatio had fallen under her spell as well.

Small wonder, Raymond told himself. Yelina had been then and still was a beautiful woman.

_Why?_

That question wouldn't answer itself unless one of them voiced it. Horatio let out a frustrated sigh as he broke off drumming the steering wheel. With deliberate slowness he reached up and removed his sunglasses. He placed them on the dash as he shifted in his seat and looked at Raymond.

"Why?" Horatio asked in a hoarse whisper. His control was a fragile thing at best.

"Why?" Raymond countered, softly. He considered the question uncertain as to what Horatio was eluding to. Why had he become a cop? Why had he allowed himself to be dragged down a path to self-destruction?

"What were you trying to prove, Ray?" Horatio spat the question out. "That of the two us, you were the better man?" There was a crack in the dam as bitterness seeped into Horatio's voice.

"No," Raymond answered, truthfully. "Never that."

"Then what?" Horatio countered with sarcasm dripping as he let his eyes drill into Raymond's. "I'm a little lost here, Ray, so please enlighten me."

Blue eyes dueled with blue eyes because Raymond couldn't look away. In Horatio's eyes he saw so much pain and anguish that he almost flinched because of it. Mixed in with the pain and anguish was a hint of anger, but Raymond couldn't tell if it was directed inward or outward.

"I just wanted to be like you," Raymond admitted with a touch of reluctance. "I wanted to be somebody's hero."

Horatio closed his eyes and silently shook his head. "Hero?" he scoffed, bitterly. "I'm no hero."

"Of course you are," Raymond countered.

"No," Horatio disagreed, thinking of all the people he had failed to help in his life. "I'm just the man who cleans up the messes other people make."

"What makes you say that?"

"What have I been doing for over twenty years, Ray?" Horatio retorted. "Homicide? Bomb Squad? CSI? You?" He sighed again and his gaze dropped to his hands. "Mom should be your hero not me."

"She will always be," Raymond replied with a hint of pain in his voice. "But so will you."

Horatio looked up and opened his mouth to protest further when Raymond held up a finger to stop him.

"You took on the responsibility of raising me when you didn't have to," Raymond tried to explain. "I probably made your life miserable, but I'm glad you stuck around and that makes you a hero in my book.”

"Probably?" Horatio remarked with a wry grin and arched eyebrow.

Raymond chuckled and shook his head. "Ok, so I was a pain in the ass."

"Still are."

"You are no sweetheart yourself," Raymond retorted, falling into the friendly bantering of old.

"That's one point we can agree on," Horatio muttered as he glanced down at his watch. So much to say and so little time to say it in, he reflected to himself.

“Horatio?”

“Yes?”

“Will I ever see you again?”

“I don’t know, Ray,” Horatio answered, honestly. “I don’t know.”

“So I guess this is goodbye?”

“I guess so.”

They exited the Hummer and hugged before Horatio sent Raymond on his way to a new life with a silent wish that this second chance would amount to something.

The End


End file.
